"Low Income"--Levels in the Jewish Population; The "Jewish Poor" in Los Angeles. A Summary of Findings.

Massarik, Fred

The concept "Jewish Poor" is defined simply as Jewish households (viz. households containing one or more persons defined as Jewish) whose total household cash income (1969, comparable to U.S. Census) was under 4000 dollars. The data were obtained from four sources: (1) analysis of "Jewish Poor" drawn from Los Angeles phase of National Jewish Population Study; (2) geographic analysis of Jewish Federation Council Passover List containing presumably low-income Jewish households, and geographic re-analysis of American Jewish Committee raw data of public aid recipients; (3) qualitative insights obtained by volumteer Beverly-Fairfax, California neighborhood survey and by earlier Menorah Housing Study street interviews; and, (4) U.S. Census data for selected areas. It is estimated that the number of Jewish poor persons in Los Angeles is slightly above 55,000. These Jewish poor reside in 30,000 households; institutional population is not separately considered in this study. In general, the Jewish poor reside in the older areas of the Jewish population settlement in Los Angeles. About one-half of Jewish poor households are located in such neighborhoods. But the remainder are scattered widely throughout the City and County. In large measure, the Jewish poor are "old-time" settlers of Los Angeles. (Author/JM)